Not Every Week Is a Creative Breakthrough

For the last while, I've found myself living in week-long segments, and unfortunately, some weeks don't go to plan.

I always have goals I set for myself as a creative, but I'm learning to accept that those goals cannot always be met. Otherwise, I end up cementing myself in guilt over not being as productive or creative as I'd hoped to be.

Last week, I didn't upload a blog, let alone open any creative programs. Life got in the way. Five job interviews in one week, countless appointments, a back injury, and being struck with illness (again). I truly wanted to write a killer article last week, but sometimes life takes more out of you than you have left to give. When you're physically and mentally exhausted, creativity can feel like just another thing you're struggling to keep up with.

I sat down a few times to brainstorm article topics and draft outlines, but what I desperately needed was rest. 

I feel this pressure to keep going. From others, my peers, my family, everyone, but mainly from myself. I have so much drive and determination that taking even a day off can make me feel like I'm falling behind or losing momentum. If I take a nap after work instead of pushing through to finish a quick project, the guilt can feel as though I've set myself back months. Logically, I know that's not how it works, but try telling that to the part of my brain that insists everything needs to be done now.

Sometimes, when I have too much going on to give my creative work the attention I want to, I genuinely have to go back and reread my very first blog article about not feeling guilty for resting. (Which I do recommend reading, if you haven't already. Not to be biased.) It's silly how easily we can forget the advice we give ourselves when we're the ones who need to hear it most. Honestly maybe thats why I write it as advice to you all; because I know it's actually for me to remember too. I have a hard time remembering that I don't have to earn my rest, and that I deserve the same grace I'd give anyone else. I don't always need to be so hard on myself.

Last week, I was so drained that I didn't even come up with a single idea to add to my project spreadsheet. For me, that's extremely rare. I usually have more ideas than I know what to do with, and there's almost always something I'm itching to work on. Having nothing to add felt strange, especially when I'm so used to always having something on the go.

But not every week needs to bring new ideas, achievements, or huge opportunities. Progress isn't always consistent, and growth doesn't happen on a weekly schedule like how I'm living lately. Some weeks are full of exciting developments, while others are spent simply keeping your head above water. The quieter weeks don't cancel out the good ones, and they don't mean you're suddenly any less capable of reaching your goals.

Last week, I was in so much physical pain that I genuinely couldn't sit up and use my laptop long enough to make meaningful progress on any of my projects. Mentally, I was just as exhausted. Even when I had the opportunity to work on something, I didn't have the energy or the desire to do it. And as much as I hated feeling unproductive, I had to acknowledge that I couldn't pour from an empty cup. (Yes, I know. A cliché. Unfortunately, a fitting one.)

I absolutely want to show up for my creative career. I want to show up for the expectations I've so harshly set for myself. But I think I also need to remind myself that showing up doesn't always mean cranking out project after project. Sometimes, showing up means taking a step back, giving yourself time to recover, and trusting that your ambition will still be there when you're ready to pick things up again. Sometimes, simply giving yourself permission to do nothing is enough.

It's been two weeks of needing more rest than usual, and I still feel rather crappy about it. But I also know I owed that time to myself, rather than constantly asking myself what more I could be doing.

This week, I'm showing up by writing this article. I'm also working on a small collaboration project with Adobe Live. They might not be huge milestones in the bigger picture of my career, but they're things I'm excited about, and right now, that feels like enough. 

I'm still ambitious. I still have a million things I want to do, projects I want to create, and goals I want to reach. None of that has changed just because I've had a couple of difficult weeks and have taken that time to rest.

I'm learning that I don't have to make every week count by producing something huge, or something at all. Sometimes, I need to let a week pass without expecting anything extraordinary from myself.

Not every week will be a creative breakthrough, and maybe that's okay. Maybe the goal isn't to make every week productive, but to build a creative life that leaves room for the weeks when I'm not.